How To Freeze Cookie Dough

How to freeze cookie dough using the “scoop” method so you can have a warm, chewy treat any time that cookie craving hits!

Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?

Yes! In fact, we freeze cookie dough all the time. It is so easy to do and makes life easier. You can freeze ALL kinds of cookie dough, not just chocolate chip (although chocolate chip cookies are my favorite)!

Reasons For Freezing Cookie Dough

• Only clean up once: Do the prep work once and have delicious cookies many times. ONE day of cleanup is much better than FIVE (or more) All about saving time where I can.
• Bake as many as you want: Just want one or two cookies? No problem! Take out as many as you need, any time!
• Great last-minute treat: Have guests coming over and want to make a treat without messing up the kitchen? This is the perfect solution.
• Make in bulk: Whether you are catering an event or preparing for the big school bake sale, have these ready to go ahead of time and spend a fraction of the time in the kitchen on bake sale day.
• Give as a gift: We love making a big batch to give as a gift. The recipient can bake up fresh cookies any time they like!

Is It Better To Freeze Cookies or Dough?

Honestly, there are advantages to both. I personally like a warm, chewy cookie out of the oven but sometimes it’s nice to go to the freezer and grab a quick cookie that is already made. Pre-baked cookies tend to get a little dry after freezing and lose a little of the flavor because they aren’t baked fresh. Pre-baking and freezing is great for camping trips or picnics because you can grab what you want and not have to worry about baking beforehand. Plus, they stay together better than fresh-baked cookies when packed in a tote, ice box or cooler.

How to Freeze Cookie Dough:

One of the great debates when freezing dough is whether to freeze the dough in individual balls or in a loaf. My favorite method is what I call the “scoop” method which is similar to the ball method, but better. It really all comes down to personal preference. I will break down each method for you here and you can decide which works best for you:

Scoop Method (preferred method):

My favorite method. The dough freezes great and seems to bake up the best.

1. Using a cookie scoop, scoop up dough and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (I like to put my cookie sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes so it is nice and cold the the dough freezes faster).
2. Press the dough down gently onto the baking sheet while the cookie dough is still in the scoop to make a flat side. Then lift the scoop away from the dough. It’s ok if it’s not perfect, the less you mess with it the better.
3. Put the scoops very close together, as long as they aren’t touching you are fine. You want to be able to fit as much as you can on the baking sheet.
4. Freeze 2-3 hours until solid and frozen through. Place in a plastic freezer bag, pressing out as much air as you can before sealing or freezer safe Tupperware container.

Ball Method:

This is not my favorite method because once frozen, the balls roll all over the place. They don’t stay put well on a cookie sheet when ready to bake.

1. Using a cookie scoop (for uniformity) scoop up dough and roll into a ball with your hands.
2. Place dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet (make sure they aren’t touching) and freeze for 2-3 hours.
3. Once frozen, place in a plastic freezer bag, pressing out as much air as you can before sealing or freezer safe, airtight container.

Loaf (or Log) Method:

This method works well when you don’t have the patience or time to scoop out and pre-freeze before storing long-term. This method also works great for when you want to bake up the entire amount at one time. It’s not my favorite because it makes it a little more difficult to portion out the exact amount of cookies you want.

1. Lay out a piece of parchment paper (or wax paper)
2. Get 2-3 handfuls of dough (or as much as you would like) and form it into a log shape
3. Wrap the dough up in the parchment paper, sealing the ends as much as you can so no dough is exposed
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a Ziplock freezer bag (it may seem like overkill but this all helps with freshness and preventing freezer burn)
5. Place as many loaves of dough as you would like in the freezer bag, seal, and freeze well.
6. Slice with a knife and bake.

How Long Does Dookie Dough Last in the Freezer?

When using any of the methods above, you can freeze your cookie dough with maximum freshness for up to 3 months. You can store for longer than 3 months but you risk losing flavor and freshness. The cookies may also not bake up as nicely. I can’t say for sure because our frozen cookie dough usually gets used up well before we hit the 3-month mark. Be sure to label and date your storage bag or container so you can keep track of when you made your cookies.

What Kind of Cookie Dough Freezes Best?

You can freeze all kinds of cookie dough from drop cookies to cut-out cookie dough but here are some of our favorites:

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• Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies (my very favorite and the one I freeze the most)
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Reese’s Pieces Cookies
• Monster Cookies
• Homemade Oreo Cookies
• Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Swig Sugar Cookies
• Grandma’s Soft Sugar Cookies
• Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (after freezing, thaw and roll out to use cookie cutters)

Do You Need to Thaw Frozen Dough Before Baking?

Nope, but you certainly can if you would like! There is no need to thaw any of the methods mentioned above. The only exception to this is if you are using a dough that you want to roll out for making shapes and using cookie cutters (cut-out cookies). In this case, you will want to thaw the dough first. If you wish to thaw, thaw in the refrigerator overnight until softened enough to scoop.

How to Bake Cookies From Frozen Dough

When baking from frozen, you can bake up the cookies are you normally would. Just leave enough space between the cookies to allow for expansion. Add 3-5 minutes baking time from the recipe you are using (so if your recipe calls for baking 8 minutes, aim for 11-13 minutes from frozen).

How to Bake Cookies From Thawed Dough

If you decide you want to thaw your dough first, you don’t need to make any changes to the cooking time. You should be able to pick up right where you left off in the recipe.

Cookie Dough For Freezing

The recipe below is for a large batch of cookie dough that is perfect for freezing. It makes about 6-7 dozen cookies. We like to make this amount, bake up a couple dozen and freeze the rest. This is the same recipe as our popular bakery chocolate chip cookies, just doubled. It’s by far my favorite cookie recipe. Use any of the freezing methods above to freeze the excess dough.